


Side Effects May Vary

by GemmaRose



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Acts Like a Cat, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Purrs, Gen, Headaches & Migraines, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Cuddling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:09:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22052290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GemmaRose/pseuds/GemmaRose
Summary: Adrien wouldn't give up his powers for anything, but nothing so good comes without a price.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 6
Kudos: 377





	Side Effects May Vary

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Wythi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wythi/gifts).



Getting his Miraculous had been the best thing that ever happened to him, hands down. It even beat going to school, but only by a narrow margin. Nino and Alya and Marinette and all his other friends were, well, half the reason he could get out of bed with a smile most mornings. Nothing good came without a price, though. Some prices he was more than willing to pay, tests and homework were a fair trade for getting to have friends besides Chloe. Others... well, he was just glad that being Chat Noir hadn’t given him any _visible_ side-effects.

The enhanced strength outside of the suit had come in so gradually he barely noticed it until he accidentally lifted his whole bed trying to grab a dropped pencil, and after that little revelation he’d noticed the reflex enhancement on his own during fencing. It felt a little bit like cheating, but only a little. It wasn’t like he was doing it on purpose or anything, his body was just used to reacting faster than thought in battle. So when he told M. D’Argencourt he was doing extra training, well... it was technically true? Other side effects of the Miraculous weren’t as helpful, though. Enhanced senses and feline instincts took the lights and noise and focused attention of photoshoots from uncomfortable to downright unbearable, and the expanded vocal range was just plain weird. But compared to everything he’d gained from being Chat Noir, a few little side effects were a pittance to pay.

At least, that was his opinion on the matter most of the time. A photoshoot over lunch, after an akuma attack, and then returning directly to class made him just want to find somewhere small and dark and quiet and curl up there for an hour or three. He couldn’t just leave school though, Father would ask questions Adrien had no answer to, and besides, he’d handled worse than a little bit of headache. It should go away on its own soon enough, even. Except the little headache didn’t go away at all. It built and built behind his forehead, sliding sideways as one period changed to another until the whole left side of his skull was pounding. He could hear the scratch of pens and pencils on paper, the indistinct whispers of Marinette and Alya’s conversation behind him, the buzz of the lights overhead. He’d never hated his enhanced hearing quite so much.

Nino’s hand on his shoulder startled him, and after what felt like an eternity of straining to focus at least a little bit on the material Adrien’s other arm jumped, akuma-honed reflexes nearly making him punch his friend in the face. “Dude, the bell rang like, two minutes ago.” Nino said, his voice low and worried. Dammit, Adrien hated making his friends worry.

“Sorry.” Adrien mumbled. His limbs felt stiff, and when he stood he had to brace himself on his desk, stomach lurching unpleasantly as the world spun around him, the pounding inside his head growing not louder but hotter, more insistent, more difficult to ignore.

“You look like shit.” Nino said, scooping up his bag, and Adrien’s stomach lurched in a completely different way. God, please let Plagg not pick right now to act out. “Hey, do you wanna come over to my place?” he asked, slinging Adrien’s bag over one shoulder in addition to his own.

“Father-”

“Won’t care so long as you’re home by ten.” Nino scoffed, hooking his arm through Adrien’s and guiding him out of the classroom. Adrien tried not to lean on him too much, but wasn’t sure how well he managed it. “You said he’s cut your photoshoots to one a day during school, right? And you already had one over lunch.”

“Thanks, Nino.” he mumbled, and Nino’s arm through his moved to wrap around the back of his shoulders instead.

“Hey, what are friends for?” he asked, and Adrien chuckled.

“I wouldn’t know.”

Nino didn’t respond to that, and Adrien mentally kicked himself. Great, there he went making things awkward again. Nino always got so quiet and angry when Adrien mentioned what his life had been like, before this year. It was worrying, when he thought about it too hard, so he tried not to. At least that was easy today, the pulsing pain in his head drowning out everything else. He managed to give the Gorilla some excuse about homework and help, and as soon as the car was out of sight let his eyes fall shut. It helped, a little, but the noises of Paris on a Tuesday afternoon made his headache worse regardless.

“Stairs.” Nino warned him softly, and Adrien cracked his eyes open to see the steps up to the building Nino’s family lived in. It was darker inside than out, the curtains drawn during the day to protect furniture nearly as old as the building itself, and Adrien collapsed gratefully on the couch, burying his face in a throw pillow with a low groan that was only mostly in the human range of hearing. “You need anything?” Nino asked, and Adrien pressed his lips together. He was being rude, accepting Nino’s invitation and then just collapsing on the couch.

“Um, water?” he hedged, starting to push himself upright again. Even just being in a dim room was already helping his headache, he could manage sitting up and hanging out with his friend.

“Sure thing.” Nino nodded, and the floorboards creaked under his feet as he walked over into the kitchen. Adrien could clearly hear him retrieving and filling a glass, the soft sound of the cabinet hinges and Nino’s feet on the floor. He sat up as the tap turned on, grimacing at the sound, and just knew that if he were suited up right now his ears would be neat flat against his head with his tail lashing behind him. Thankfully Nino said nothing when he came back with the water, and for a few long minutes they sat in silence, Nino scrolling through social media on his phone and Adrien sipping at the water.

With so little for his enhanced senses to amplify, the headache slowly but surely began to abate, winding down from a debilitating pain to a slow, steady throb in the left half of his head and body. It wasn’t until the pain had faded that Adrien realized just how tired he was. Between hero duties, modelling, and homework he was always tired nowadays, but this was more than that. He made to stand, intending to put the glass back in the kitchen, and gritted his teeth as his head spun.

“Whoa, dude.” Nino dropped his phone and caught Adrien by the waist, guiding him back down onto the couch. “If you wanted more water you could’ve just asked.”

Adrien shook his head. “I was going to put it back in the kitchen.”

“Later.” Nino said firmly, lifting the glass from his hand and setting it on the coffee table. “You look totally wiped.” he slung an arm around Adrien’s shoulders, and Adrien leaned into the contact, eyes slipping shut. “Did something happen? You’d been kinda out of it since lunch.”

“It’s nothing.” Adrien drew his feet up onto the couch next to him, tucking himself up small against Nino’s side. His friend wasn’t usually terribly comfortable to lean on, all gangly limbs and bony sides, but right now Adrien couldn’t imagine anywhere he’d rather be. Well, anywhere but with Ladybug, but Ladybug was an exception. “Just a bad headache.”

“Where’s it hurt?” Nino asked, sitting up a little straighter. Adrien gestured to the left side of his head, and Nino winced. “Ouch. Want me to grab some painkillers?”

“Please.” Adrien nodded, and immediately regretted it when Nino rose from the couch. Thankfully it wasn’t long before Nino returned, two small pills in one hand and the refilled glass of water in the other. Adrien took both gratefully, and after finishing off the water leaned forward to place it on the nearest coaster. When he sat back again, Nino’s arm was already laid across the back of the couch to settle around his shoulders, and Adrien shut his eyes as he curled into his friend’s side again.

He’d always loved hugs, loved it when Mom would pull him into her lap or Chloe would half tackle him when he arrived for a playdate, but since getting his Miraculous that passive enjoyment had become almost a need. Maybe it was because he had so many more friends now, maybe it was because the most contact he’d gotten for far too long before them was people nudging him into position for photoshoots, maybe it was just another one of the many side-effects of being Chat Noir. Whatever the reason, leaning against Nino with his friend’s arm around his shoulders, Adrien was the most comfortable he’d been in weeks. Months, if you didn’t count the time he woke up after a fight with the warmth of the Miracle Cure still tingling his bruises away and his head pillowed in Ladybug’s lap.

“Uh, Adrien?” Nino said after a few minutes of comfortable near-silence, and Adrien made an indistinct sound as he blinked his eyes open. The medicine hadn’t quite kicked in yet, but just being able to cuddle up with his friend in a dark, quiet room was doing wonders for his headache.

“What?” he asked, and Nino pursed his lips, looking distinctly uncertain.

“Were you just... purring?” he asked, and Adrien went cold. “Because last time I checked, normal people can’t do that.”

“No, no.” Adrien denied reflexively, sitting up properly and turning to face his friend. Damage control time, Ladybug would be _so mad_ if she found out he’d been careless enough to let a civilian know. Even if that civilian was his best friend. “That must’ve been my phone. Nathalie probably wants to make sure I am where I said I’d be.” he reached for his pocket, and cursed internally when he realized his phone wasn’t actually on his person. He’d stuck it in his bag to keep Plagg busy during class.

“Oh my god.” Nino’s eyes went wide, and Adrien cringed. “You’re- oh, that explains so much!” Nino grabbed his shoulders, and Adrien yelped as he was pulled into a tight hug. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.” Nino swore, and Adrien relaxed as he lifted his arms to return the embrace.

“Not even Alya?” he asked, and Nino shook his head.

“She wouldn’t put it on the Ladyblog, you know.” he said as he pulled away, only just far enough to look Adrien in the eye.

“I know, but Ladybug and I promised.” Adrien leaned in close again, and Nino’s arms wrapped snug around him.

“Your secret’s safe with me, bro.” he swore, and Adrien shifted to a more comfortable position, chest rumbling again with a deep, contented purr. Now that he was paying attention, he couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed himself doing it earlier.

“So, is purring the only cat thing you got from being a superhero, or should I be worried about the laser pointers Alya’s sisters got for their birthday?”

Adrien’s chuckle broke up his purr, and he pulled back from hugging Nino to give his friend his best reassuring smile. “No, and no.” he answered, settling in against Nino’s side again. “I’ve got some physical boosts, and a vocal range Jagged Stone would be jealous of, but nothing else.”

“Aww.” Nino mock-pouted. Adrien elbowed him in the ribs.

“If you try to slip me catnip to find out if it does anything, I _will_ tell Alya you’re the one who filled her toothpaste tube with peanut butter.” he threatened, and Nino laughed, slinging an arm around his shoulders again.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Something I learnt while writing this: French schools don’t have a school nurse. Most (if not all) schools in the States, if you get a migraine you’d be able to at least go lie down in a dark room for a couple periods.


End file.
